Curable coating composition, curable ink, printing method thereof and printed matter

Abstract

A curable coating composition comprising a polymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester; a vegetable oil or a fatty acid ester thereof; and a (metha) acrylic monomer or (metha) acrylic oligomer, and a printing method thereof are disclosed. A printing ink utilizing the curable coating composition of the present invention can be printed with a printing machine used for oil-based inks. At the same time, if in combination with an activation energy beam curable overprint varnish, glossy printed matters having aesthetically high-grade feeling can be obtained.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A curable coating composition, comprising: 
 a polymer of an aromatic vinyl compound and an α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester;    a vegetable oil or a fatty acid ester thereof; and    a (metha) acrylic monomer or (metha) acrylic oligomer.    
     
     
         2 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester is a (metha) acrylic acid ester of a C1 to C20 monohydric fatty alcohol.  
     
     
         3 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester is a (metha) acrylic acid ester of a C5 to C60 cyclic alcohol.  
     
     
         4 . The curable coating composition as set forth in  claim 3 , wherein the C5 to C60 cyclic alcohol is terpene alcohol.  
     
     
         5 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a resin having a softening temperature in the range of 50 to 180° C.  
     
     
         6 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a metallic dryer and/or a radical polymerization initiator.  
     
     
         7 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , further comprising a coloring agent.  
     
     
         8 . A printing ink comprising the curable coating composition according to  claim 7 .  
     
     
         9 . A method for printing a curable ink on a substrate, said method comprising the steps of: 
 (a) applying the printing ink of  claim 8  on a substrate to form an ink surface of the printing ink;    (b) further applying, in an uncured state of the printing ink, an activation energy beam curable overcoat varnish on the ink surface; and,    (c) irradiating an activation energy beam onto the printing ink and activation energy beam curable overcoat varnish applied.    
     
     
         10 . A printed matter produced according to the method of  claim 9 .  
     
     
         11 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the aromatic vinyl compound is in an amount of 1 to 99% by weight based on a total amount of the aromatic vinyl compound and the α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester.  
     
     
         12 . The curable coating composition according to  claim 1 , wherein the polymer is in an amount of 1 to 50% by weight based on an amount of the curable coating composition.